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Reviews

11

repeat clients

28 Reviews

Rachel B.

Jul 17, 2017

Verified Stay

Ann took amazing care of my dog Roxford, who is very old and requires shots 2x a day. Her care of Roxford went above and beyond my high expectations. She was quick to respond to my texts and also quickly noticed any changes in Roxford and reached out if she had any questions. She treated Roxford as one of her own dogs- with amazing care and attentiveness. Ann is absolutely fantastic and I would recommend ...

Ann took amazing care of my dog Roxford, who is very old and requires shots 2x a day. Her care of Roxford went above and beyond my high expectations. She was quick to respond to my texts and also quickly noticed any changes in Roxford and reached out if she had any questions. She treated Roxford as one of her own dogs- with amazing care and attentiveness. Ann is absolutely fantastic and I would recommend her to any one who cares about their dog and wants to put them in safe caring home while they are away. I will be booking with Ann again.

Ann P.

Tanja S.

Nov 30, 2015

Verified Stay

Sparky just loves Ann. Best stay ever. He will stay with Ann soon again.

Thanks for letting me watch Sparky. He's a fun loving puppy.

Ann P.

Ann G.

Sep 20, 2015

Verified Stay

Ann took great care of my 10 month old Shorky! Sent great pictures, and really aimed to please me and Finnegan! She is terrific!

Ann P.

Ann's Clients

70%

of clients received photo updates

About Ann

39

years of experience

No place like home, but we're close

Thank you for considering me as your dog's pet sitter. I will sit dogs under 40 pounds in my home. I have been a dog trainer and canine behavior specialist for over 35 years and I bring that knowledge to my pet sitting. I am experienced in dealing puppies and with senior dogs. I am able to administrate medications. My large backyard is double fenced with chain-link and a 6 foot privacy fence. Your dog ...

Thank you for considering me as your dog's pet sitter. I will sit dogs under 40 pounds in my home. I have been a dog trainer and canine behavior specialist for over 35 years and I bring that knowledge to my pet sitting. I am experienced in dealing puppies and with senior dogs. I am able to administrate medications. My large backyard is double fenced with chain-link and a 6 foot privacy fence. Your dog will NEVER be allowed to stay in the yard without me being present. Your dog will have private one on one time for play and cuddles with me.Your dog's safety and comfort are my highest priorities. My goal is to give your dog that bit of extra attention that makes it feel at home and gives you peace of mind. To make sure your dog will feel comfortable in my home a MEET & GREET is required. It is suggested that you make your reservations early.References upon request.

About this sitter:I have spent most of my life loving, training, showing and enjoying dogs. I believe every dog is a special being that deserves care and respect. As someone once said "dogs are not our whole life but they make our life whole." And I must say I agree.

Why I love dog sitting.Dogs have always been a part of my life. I have spent most of my adult life as a dog trainer and dealing with behavioral problems. I bring that experience and enthusiasm to the privilege of keeping your dog as a guest in my home.

From my experience with my own dogs I have found it much more comfortable to leave them with friends whom I trust, rather than putting them into a stressful boarding situation. I only take up to three dogs at a time. I want to make sure that I can give them the attention they deserve. I know how I would like my own dogs to be treated and I make it my goal to treat your dogs in the same way. You can be assured that when your dog comes for a sleepover at my house that I will take the same care of your beloved pet as I do my own.

Please read my profile information. If you send me a request and then decide to choose another sitter please let me know so that I can open up my calendar for someone else. I only take 3 to 4 time.

I have worked for the SPCA an understand dogs that are shy and may be at first uncomfortable in a new situation. I make every effort to make your dog feel at home and relaxed while staying at my house.When your best friend is a guest, my main obligation is its comfort, safety and well-being. Your dog is treated as if it were my own pet with gentleness, a positive attitude and love.

Meet my petsI currently own a Cairn Terrier, 3 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, a Whippet and two cats - Who think they are dogs. :-)

About my yardI have a 50' x 50' backyard that is double fenced with a 6 foot privacy fence and a 48 inch chain-link fence. The space is open with some shade trees and a grassy surface. There are no chemicals or fertilizers used on the lawns.When the dogs spend time and in the yard, I am outside with them just to keep an eye on things. I also work to keep the dog's area clean by scooping poop as it happens. :-)

My experience administering medicationYes, I am comfortable administrating medication to dogs. I was given specific training to do so when I worked at the SPCA. I have also taken the American Red Cross Pet Emergency course.

What Ann would like to know about your dog

THE TYPES OF DOGS I WILL SIT I prefer pet sitting little dogs UNDER 25 pounds-preferably smaller breeds. This fits my situation best. The dogs should be spayed or neutered if they are old enough. I do not take dogs that are aggressive towards animals or people. Your dog must also be up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations and any other vaccinations that your veterinarian requires. Dogs must be on and effective flea and tick preventative. I specialize in sitting puppies, senior dogs and dogs that may need a little extra TLC. For puppies under 4 months old the rate is $40 per night because puppies do require extra attention.Special Needs dogs are $40 per night.

Because of the individual attention each dog receives I limit the number of dogs that I will keep at any one time. It is very important to register your stay early. I prefer to commit to no more than four dogs at a time. Occasionally there may be an overlap because of pick up or drop off times.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ MY MEET AND GREET AND DROP OFF PROCESS.

I have specific ways of handling bringing a new dog into a boarding situation. I have developed these from my experiences as a canine behavior specialist. You will find explanations of why I do things the way I do below.

I will send you a form to fill out so that I have important contact information and any special instructions your dog may need for its care.

As a dog trainer I have a deep understanding canine behavior, I am able to deal with dogs that may have some separation issues when staying away from home. Please realize that the extra care of these dogs need will involve an additional charge. But my goal is for you to feel comfortable leaving your dog. Contact me through rover.com for more information.

PUPPIES UNDER FIVE MONTHS COST A BIT EXTRA TO BOARD, $40 per night. That is because puppies are extra work and need much more attention. They need extra potty breaks, more interaction and play and often don't sleep through the night. :-)The same goes for special needs/senior dogs. You can be assured these dogs get the extra care said you pay for.

THE MEET AND GREET - YOUR DOGS FIRST IMPRESSIONI have particular way that I like to handle the meet and greet and to make the drop off of your dog as stress-free as possible.I like to meet your dog on neutral ground. There are important reasons behind this that will help make your dog more comfortable during its stay. First, if I come to your house, I am invading your dog's space. It doesn't matter if the dog is friendly, a little shy or protective. I am a stranger coming in to their home and that is not the most positive first impression.

The second option of your dog have a Meet and Greet at my house is even less helpful. In this scenario your dog would be invading MY dogs space. That could be overwhelming for most dogs. Even if my dogs are crated or in the backyard, your dog would still know that they are around somewhere and he was in their territory. After a short visit ,you take your dog home and he will think "Boy, that was stressful. I'm glad to be out of there! I hope I don't have to go back." While my dogs will see your dog as an uninvited stranger on their turf. This does not bode well for a guest visit.

The best Meet and Greet is meeting in a NEUTRAL space. Your dog does not see me as a stranger coming in to his home. I am not a threat to anything that belongs to him. I take the time to allow the dog to COME UP TO ME and sniff my shoes, sniff my pants, my hands, etc. on his terms. From that experience a dog can learn a lot. He can figure out that I have dogs, if they are girl dogs or boy dogs. He can smell that there's a cat. He learns what I smell like and he can smell that I have some really good treats in my pocket. :-)I allow the dog to introduce itself to me and I don't try to push myself on your dog. Your dog will also notice that you and I will be having a nice relaxed conversation and figure that if his person thinks that I'm okay then I must be okay. This helps the dog to accept me into your circle.When I go home my dogs can smell that I have visited with your dog. So when he comes into our home it's a familiar smell.

When the time comes for your dog to stay at my house I usually greet him at the car and talk a bit with you. Your dog will probably sniff me and think "Oh, I remember you." I will quietly take the leash and walk him around the front yard while you drive off. That way we avoid any big goodbyes that can be extremely upsetting to dogs. Of course your dog realizes you're leaving and may be a bit upset at first but it's not a big emotional situation. That is something we try to avoid. When I take him in the house, my dogs are out of sight in crates in their room or out in the backyard. He knows they are there but he isn't greeted by everybody head on first thing. Introductions are made very gradually through the baby gate.

Aother helpful thing is that your dog hasn't seen you walk out the front door and leave him. Dogs understand you leaving through a door. Not seeing you do so can take a great bit of tension out of the boarding situation.

I know it seems like a long process. Yes, it would be much easier for you to come in the door, just hand me the dog and walk out but believe me the dog would see that as being abandoned. When I did take in dogs that way, I had guest dogs sit at the front door for days waiting for the owner to come back. Your dog doesn't need to go through that.

I know this does work because now I have regular clients whose dogs will get out of the car and trot up my front steps to the door without even a backward glance. :-) Of course, they are still VERY glad when you come and pick them up but the trauma of feeling like they WERE being left behind has been avoided.

When Ann watches your pet

I do my best to make your dog feel at home and comfortable when staying with me. I limit the amount of dogs that I can take in so is extremely important to BOOK YOUR STAY WELL IN ADVANCE so your dog will not miss out on the fun. I have a large double fenced backyard Where are your dog can play and explore. Additionally,I have a fenced in 50' x 100' lot and play yard. This is where I take visiting dogs to play, fetch, exercise and use some of that extra energy. It is a nice grassy lot with shade trees and a wonderful place to run and stretch their legs and have a good game of Fetch or Chase. Dogs are always under my personal supervision when they are outdoors and are NEVER left in this yard without my supervision.

Your dog's sleeping arrangementDogs that are guests in my home sleep in individual dog crates for the sake of safety. Each crate has its own comfy bed and your dog will have access to water at all times. Dogs that are not used to crates maybe started out by sleeping in doggy beds, but using positive techniques I am very successful at teaching a dog to accept sleeping in a comfy crate. I feel that this is an important for safety reasons, just as it would be important to know the safety exit if you yourself are staying in a hotel. If for any reason I had to get out of the house fast, I feel it's imperative to know where the dogs are and where their leashes are so that they can be removed from the home quickly and safely. Of course, we always hope and pray that something like this would never happen but it is much better to be safe than sorry.

Time I'll spend with your dogI work out of my home so I am with the dogs most of the day. Occasionally I will have meetings with clients but I am rarely away from my home for more than three to four hours.Some dogs come and stay with me, also take advantage of a training. This is a separate item from a stay and is priced accordingly. Contact me if you are looking for a board and train situation.Most dogs just enjoy relaxing and feeling comfortable and a home environment.I try to keep the dogs stimulated and interested in what's going on with games, walks and time spent outdoors together. I also make sure that they get to relax and watch a little TV in the evenings. Dogs can be taken for walks through the neighborhood or in local parks but only with the owners permission that must be given in writing at the time of the drop off.

In Ann's Home

Dogs Not Allowed On Bed

Potty Breaks Every 0-2 Hours

Dogs Allowed On Furniture

Ann's
Neighborhood

At Rover, we're dedicated to giving your pet the best possible care. To help keep your pet happy and healthy, all stays and services booked on Rover receive our Rover guarantee. You can enjoy peace of mind knowing that if your dog becomes ill and needs to see a veterinarian, that care will be covered.

24/7 Customer Support

You can travel worry-free knowing that in the event of an emergency, Rover's customer support team will be available to assist you and your sitter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reservation Protection

In the unlikely event your sitter can't care for your pet, Rover will make it right. We'll do everything we can to find a replacement, so you can focus on your trip!